


I'm You, But With A Scarf (I'm You, But Tinier)

by verymerrysioux



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Warriors, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Gen, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-18 20:14:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20645024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verymerrysioux/pseuds/verymerrysioux
Summary: He blinks. “We’ve met?”Time smiles, his single eye gleaming with amusement. “It was a long time ago, for me anyway,” he says. “It took me a while to remember you, time can be a bit," he waves his hand in a so-so gesture. "I’m sure you're aware of that.”Connected toWhat's In A Name?. A short fic on how Warrior and Time first met.





	I'm You, But With A Scarf (I'm You, But Tinier)

**Author's Note:**

> So I was supposed to write the next chapter of [Younger Days](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18585478) but my brain wanted this. I just like the idea of them interacting (a big Link and a tiny Link? adorable).
> 
> No beta, I die like a Hyrule Warrior.

He's glad he didn't bring Epona with him. It took a lot of convincing to make Malon let her go beyond the ranch, he doesn't think she'd ever let him _ near _ the filly if she'd been teleported in this chaos.

That's the only way he can describe it: chaos, pure and utter chaos.

It looks like Hyrule Field, if Hyrule Field was littered with dead bodies and scattered weapons. If it stank of blood and metal. If it was filled with people and monsters trying very hard to kill each other, and succeeding (it was a morbid succession of this killed that who killed that and would be killed by that, a bloody domino effect he never wanted to see).

Any other child would panic, would cry in the midst of all that’s happening. He clamps down the horror, quickly looks for anywhere to hide, and rushes towards a walled fortress (what did Zelda call it? A keep?). 

He wonders if he's traveled back in time (there was a civil war, wasn't there?).

He runs as fast as he can, ducking and jumping out away from any stray attacks or fallen bodies, and dives inside the keep. He lets out a sigh of relief, then swallows it back as he feels something sharp poking at his neck.

He hears a chuckle. "Got lost, kid?"

His instincts scream at him to dodge. He rolls away, evading a blade that could have slice his neck open. He looks up to whoever attacked him. 

Hylian, wearing uniforms similar to the soldiers he saw in Castle Town. He has Hyrule's crest on his tunic and the standard sword and shield that soldiers have.

He blinks, confused. Why would castle soldiers attack fellow Hylians? And children at that? Was it different during war time?

The soldier sneers, looking down at him, eyes unrepentant. He takes in the green tunic and cap, and laughs. "Looks like we got ourselves a mini-hero, boys."

"Didn't know Link had a little brother," another voice mutters. 

He stiffens at the name. What did they mean? _ He _ was Link, and he didn’t have any siblings that he knew of.

"Could be a fan."

"With that face? Add a scarf and the kid's a tiny replica of him."

What scarf?

"Didn't know he had any either," the soldier grins. "Bet you he'd make a good ransom, we'd win the battle quickly, don't you think?"

The other soldiers perk up at that.

He frowns, bringing out his sword and shield. He has no idea what's happening, but he's sure as heck that being with these guys is bad news.

The soldiers laugh. One moves in front of him and bends down, cooing mockingly. "Aww, he's going to fight! Tell you what, kid. Come in quietly and we won't-agh!"

He sticks out his tongue at the same time he sticks out his sword from the soldier's foot.

"You little brat!" The soldier roars, bringing out his own sword. He lunges at him, unbalanced and wobbly with his injured foot. It's ridiculously easy to dodge.

He's really glad he didn't bring Epona.

* * *

This is how he's found, in a castle keep with a dozen dead soldiers. He's battered and bruised, his side aches like crazy, and he has blood spattered all over his tunic. 

There's only one soldier left alive.

The soldier is trembling, butt on the ground and back against the wall. He looks like he's one second to piss his trousers. 

Link stares at him, the soldier does nothing but squirm and whimper. He lowers his sword. He's about to tell him to leave him alone when the soldier looks up and screams.

"Link! Thank fuck, you're here!" The soldier scrambles up and shoves him away (he yelps in pain). "This kid, he killed all the soldiers! He's one of them!"

He wrinkles his nose. He doesn't know what "them" means, but he most certainly is not one of them. Or maybe he is, who knows. He doesn’t. He has no idea what is happening right now.

Cradling his side, he looks up and chokes on his own spit as he sees the newcomer. 

'Well,' he thinks numbly. Staring at the green tunic and cap (and face). 'That explains the scarf comment.'

So, less time travel and more like another Termina situation, then?

Bigger Him raises an eyebrow. He surveys the whole keep, then looks at the trembling soldier. He looks incredibly unimpressed. "A child took out an entire troop of grown men?"

Link wants to pipe up that they were really bad in fighting, but he'd rather stay free from accusation of killing them in the first place. No matter how true it was.

(he thinks, with bitter shame, what would Navi think if she saw him now--violent and barbaric, probably)

"No kid can do that! He's a monster!"

(that too)

Bigger Him has a blank expression, eyes a frosty blue. He lets out a slow hum, tapping his finger on his chin. He turns to look at him. "Well, you got anything to say? Killing a Hyrulean soldier is a crime, you know."

Moments ago, his instincts told him to attack, that those soldiers weren't good, weren't safe. Now, as he's looking at this other version of himself, his instincts say the opposite.

He shrugs. "Didn't know. Didn't act like Hyrulean soldiers at all."

"Oh?"

He nods. "They looked super sketchy. And tried to kill me." He tilts his head and adds, "Also, I think they want to kill you."

The soldier sputters.

Bigger Him nods as well. "Not surprising, traitors tend to do that."

"You can't possibly believe that bra-!" A loud metallic clang later, the soldier slumps down, out like a light.

"Sorry," Bigger Him says, not sounding sorry at all. He lowers his shield. "My hand slipped."

He goes to him, walking over the soldier while doing so. He kneels down and brings out a bottle with red liquid.

"Sorry," he says again, this time the tone is sincere. Gentler, filled with guilt. He uncorks the bottle and offers it to him. "Thought we evacuated everyone, I'll bring you out as soon as you heal."

Link takes the bottle and downs half of it, then takes littles sips. The potion tastes horrible (it always does), but it's worth dealing with the aftertaste if the pain ebbs away.

"Had your fair share of scuffles, huh?" Bigger Him observes. “You’re not gagging at the taste at all.”

He gives back the bottle, a quarter of the potion left inside, and nods. Close enough. There were definitely scuffles, if scuffles ended in possible death if he lost.

Bigger Him laughs. "Hopefully any future ones will be _ out _of a warzone."

Given his luck, he doubts that.

"Name's Link, how about you?"

He gives a cheeky grin. "My name's Link too."


End file.
